Multiple motor driving mechanism, particularly for air propeller shafts



May 4, 1943. F. NALLINGER 2,318,323 MULTIPLE MOTOR DRIVING MECHANISMPARTICULARLY FDR AIR PROPELLER SHAFTS Filed NOV. 4, 1939 'Jikz/ 12' 4 1215 96 w i III 4% J6 da INVENTOR "Eula ATTORNEY Patented May 4, 1943UNITED T sures PATENT orr ca M TIPIE Mo'rolt i r smo MECHANISM,

PARTICULARLY FOR AIR SHAFTS PBOPELLEB Fritz Nalllnger, Stuttgart,Germany vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application November 4,1939, Serial No. 302,868

In Germany October 18, 1938 h 3 Claims.

The-invention relates to the driving of a shaft by more than one motor,particularly for air propellers, wherein the driving of a shaft iscontinued by the other motors, when one or more of the motors drop out.

The invention consists in mounting, between the mechanism for drivingthe common shaft and each separate motor, a coupling device capable ofbeing, for instance manually, adjusted to several different workingpositions, each said device automatically uncoupling, in one adjustedposition, its associated motor from the common driven shaft uponoccurrence of an output decrease as a result of ignition troubles,defective fuel sup ply or the like, while, in another adjusted positionof each said device, automatic uncoupling is effected only in caseofserious disturbances, as for instance fracture or corrosion. In eachcase, the remaining motors continue to drive the shaft.

Such an arrangement enables the person controlling the drivingmechanism, when the output of the driving set decreases, to findimmediately the motor wherein the disturbance occurs, and to stop thismotor without stopping the common driven shaft, after which thedisturbance can be removed and the motor be put in action again.

.The invention is illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawingin which Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are diagrammatic sectional views partly inelevation of the clutch coupling between a single motor and a commondriven shaft, showing the clutch in three different positions,respectherefore also the coupling parts are pressed tively. Between themotor 2 and its gear wheel 4 is mounted a free wheel clutch 8a, 8b. Eachclutch part 8a, 8b is provided with teeth having inclined outersurfaces, side flanks l0 extending parallel to the rotation axis of thecoupling and counter flanks ll inclined to said axis.

The coupling part 80. is fixed to the crank shaft of the motor 2 androtates in counter-clockwise direction seen from the front side of themotor. The coupling part 8b, on the other hand, is axially slidablymounted in the nave of the gear wheel 4 and is rotated by the couplingpart 8a. So long as the coupling part 80. rotates faster than thecoupling part 81), the latter is engaged and rotated by the tooth flanksl0. As soon as the output decreases because of a disturbance in themotor 2, the gear wheel 4 and with it the coupling part 8b is driventhrough the gear 5 and the shaft 6 from a second motor (not shown),whilst the driving by the coupling part 811' stops and the same beginsto rotate slower than the coupling part 82). This has again the resultthat now the main pressure of the coupling from another, and in thismanner the coupling is released. The release takes place at a torsionalmoment whichis determined by a step-wise acting spring.

For this purpose, the coupling part 8b is slidably supported in abearing l2 of a casing l3. The hollow shaft of the coupling part 812passes axially slidably through and is keyed to the gear wheel 4engaging the gear wheel 5 of the commondriving shaft 6. The gear wheel 4is prevented from sliding axially in the casing l3. A rod I5 islongitudinally slidably and rotatably disposed in the hollow shaft M ofthe coupling part 81) and passing longitudinally slidably and rotatablythrough a boss It. The inner end of rod l5 carries a head I511. Theouter end of the rod I5 is provided with a slot H, which slot is engagedby a catch pin is of an actuating lever 19 extending past the boss IS.The pin l8 passes through a radial bore in the boss IS. The actuatinglever 19 is hingedly connected by a short rod 20 to the casing IS. Aspring 23 is situated between a flange 2| of the boss I6 and a flange 22at the end of the coupling shaft [4 and within this spring 23 anotherspring 24 is mounted around the rod l5 and supported between the flange2| of an inwardly projecting boss 16 and the flange Ma, of the couplingshaft M.

The indicated arrangement works in the following manner: In the positionI shown in Fig. 1 of the actuating lever IS the pin l8 has pulled therod i5 completely to the left and the latter by means of the head |5aacting against flange Ha keeps the coupling part 8b out of engagement.

When the actuating lever [9 moves from the position I of Fig, 5 to theposition 11 shown in Fig. 2, the pin l8 causes the boss IS with theflange 2| to move to the right into the casing l3 and the more stronglycompressed spring 23 presses against the flange 22 of the coupling shaftIt thus causing a movementof said coupling part 8b to the right untilthe latter, after synchronisation by means of the action of the inclinedteeth surfaces 9, engages the coupling part 8a. In this position thespring 24 exerts still no tension and upon the coupling part 8b actsonly the tension of the spring 23. This tension is indeed strong enoughto assure a certain engagement of both coupling parts, but is not strongenough to prevent the release of the coupling in the above-describedmanner, whenever the outmotors.

put of the corresponding motor decreases for instance in case of failingof the ignition, deficiency of fuel or the like with respect to theother Therefore, when, during operation, the total emciency of thedriving geardecreases, it is only necessary to adjust the couplings ofall the motors to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the disturbance mustbe found in the motor of which thecoupling releases.

When the actuating lever 19 is put in the position III shown in Fig. 3,the boss l6 moves further to the right and the tension of the spring 23increases. At the same time the flange 2i of the boss presses againstthe spring 24 and the latter presses against the hollow shaft I of thecoupling part 8b. The combined pressure of the.

two springs is now so strong, that the coupling is only allowed torelease when the motor 2 is completely stopped, for instance stopssuddenly. The other motors are allowed to work further unhindered andthe driving of the middle shaft 6 is maintained.

The adjustment of the actuating lever I9 for the couplings takes placefrom the drivers seat by means of a rod (not shown).

What I claim is:

1. Ina driving aggregate, the combination of a driving member, a drivenmember, a clutch coupling to connect the two members and including aclutch portion connected with the driving member and a clutch portionconnected with the driven member, one of said clutch portions beingadjustable, means on said clutch portions tending to separate the samewhen the torque transmitted from the driving member to the driven memberbecomes negative, an adjustable control sleeve, two concentric springsdisposed between said control sleeve and said adjustable clutch portionin such a manner that, upon movement of the control sleeve away from theadjustable clutch portion, one of said springs is put out of action,

while upon displacement of the control sleeve towards the adjustableclutch portion both springs operate to resiliently resist separation ofsaid clutch portions from each other, abutments provided on saidadjustable clutch portion and control sleeve, respectively, and ashiftable coupling rod extending through said springs, said rod carryingabutments for cooperation with said abutments on the adjustable clutchportion and control sleeve, respectively, in such a manner that thecoupling is positively disconnected when the sleeve is moved away fromthe adjustable clutch portion beyond the position in which one of saidsprings is put out of action.

2. In a clutch device having a driving member, a driven member coaxialwith said driving member, one of said members being axially displaceablerelative to the other one, a clutch spring urging said displaceablemember in axial direction into engagement with the other member andhaving one of its ends supported on said dis-' placeable member, meanson said members tending, to separate the latter when the torquetransmitted from the driving member to the driven member becomesnegative and a clutch release slide including a portion arranged forpositive cooperation with a portion of said displaceable clutch memberto withdraw the same, against the action of said spring, from said othermember upon adjustment of said clutch release slide to one end position,the combination of an axially slidable spring block supporting the otherend of said clutch spring, and an operating lever having means engagingsaid spring block and said

